Session C5 – Civil Society in Internet Governance/ Policy Making

Date: 20 July 2012 (Friday)

Time: 14:30 – 16:00

Venue: 17603

Organized by Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)

This proposed session will explore the policy objectives of civil society in Internet governance, as well as the means for truly multi-stakeholder participation in various fora.

Agenda

The question of civil society engagement in Internet governance should be assessed and discussed on at least two levels:

First, the process level, which will address questions such as:

  1. Why is civil society largely underrepresented in various processes in Internet governance?
  2. Does the current multi-stakeholder model of the IGF provide a sufficient platform for inclusive and meaningful civil society engagements in Internet governance?
  3. Does the current inclusion of civil society organisations in the IGF adequately address the issue of representativeness of civil society: whether current structures and processes include civil society representation beyond professionalised NGOs?
  4. Are civil society organisations in Asia fully utilising the available platforms of engagements in Internet governance?

Second, civil society’s engagement in Internet governance should be discussed in terms of outcomes, by addressing questions such as:

  1. Do these multi-stakeholder dialogues at the regional and international levels affect the realities at the national level? What are the concrete ways forward to move beyond these multi-stakeholder dialogues?
  2. Are there best practices of engagements by civil society with governments, international organisations, and/or the private sector at the national, regional and/or international levels that the various stakeholders in Asia can learn from?

Panel

Moderator – Mr. Yap SWEE SENG, Executive Director, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) 

Panelists –